124 replies to this topic

[LeVana]

thanks HAT, thats a good idea! but there will be only a few hours a weeks in total...
do you think, there could be an improvement next months? i'm so disappointed at this 6-months-mark :-( is it possible that i will feel better even if it's so bad now? can't imagine.

HAT, did you felt better after this 6 months?

[fishinghat]

Normally members start seeing an increase in good days between 6 to 8 months. That improvement is slow though. 

 

I hung in there for 7 months with no improvement, Things actually got worse during that period so I would up going to Zoloft for releif. I am now 20% off the Zoloft and very slowly weaning.

[LeVana]

7 months without any improvement? why :-(
last days i got suicidal thoughts again cause i don't want to live with this massive anxiety every day. there is no day without anxiety. after 6 months withdrawal and with escitalo since 3 months :-( i only took 20mg dulox. how could this happen to me...

my biggest wish is a little improvement.

sad greetz

[LeVana]

will never have a normal life again. can't go for a walk, can't sleep, can't laugh, can't work.

[fishinghat]

"7 months without any improvement? why :-("

 

When I first joined the forum it was typical to do a 2 month or 3 month wean. Mine was a little under 3 months. It was common for members to have no improvement at all for 1 to 2 years and I would say around 95% went back on Cymbalta or another antidepressant on a full strength dose. They commonly lost employment as well as relationships. Success was very rare.

 

During the next few years we learned that a 2 to 3 year wean was a lot more successful. Although still extremely difficult it was easier for people to maintain their job and typically their relationships. It was only about around 90% that went back on an antidepressant and that was usually a low dose Zoloft, Prozac or Lexapro. Many stayed on that low dose antidepressant as far as I know but I would also say around 30% or so weaned off of that second antidepressant once they stabilized some and thought they could handle it. 

 

While uncommon (maybe 6 to 8?), the best successes have been a 4 or 5 year wean. These people went completely free of antidepressants but it is difficult to be that patient.

 

Of course most of those members were on 90 to 125 mg for several years but one think we quickly noted...The length of time for recovery was INDEPENDANT of dose. Most would show at least improvement in 6 to 8 months while others, even on a small dose for a short time, could take a year or more just to drop the last 10 beads (1 - 3 mg).

 

In my case I suffered all the classic withdrawal symptoms that all of you are familiar with BUT in addition I had the simultaneous loss of testosterone production which caused an incredible explosion of anxiety, some depression and paranoia. I experienced some issues at first with going on testosterone so I decided that it would be better to fight one devil at a time. So I went on Zoloft, got feeling better, got my testosterone issues under control and have since turned my attention back to weaning off the Zoloft. I have weaned so slow that I have not noticed any withdrawal yet and have been able to lead a normal life during the withdrawal.

 

During the height of my withdrawal my anxiety and paranoia was so bad I usually slept on a pile of blankets in a closet with the light on and oftere spent hours screaming in fear. I wouldn't wish that on my worse enemy.

 

Just remember that as bad as it is it canand will get better.

[LeVana]

oh HAT, it sounds so terrible. you can be so proud of yourself for getting through this.
thank you for this review. so maybe it lasts a year and i only have to wait.

[invalidusername]

Make no mistake LeVana, Hat's story is horrific. Most wouldn't live to tell the tale.

 

He is very humble and whilst I hope he doesn't mind me saying, there is a lot more to his recovery story that he hasn't mentioned which would bowl you over. And not to forget, and I AM GOING to say this, Hat is a veteran. He has so much of my love and respect.

 

Sorry Hat, but this is something to very much be proud of... I am very proud to be your Brother in Christ.

 

LeVana, you might not be one of the really unlucky ones that has to wait so long, but you WILL see improvement sooner rather than later - of that I am sure. It is SO very tough when you are looking at it day, or even, week at a time. You need to see your improvement over a month or two. And journalling is a great way.

 

I had a spread sheet which I used to post here on the forum of my progress, and whilst I didn't feel I was progressing, I was looking back 3 months and thinking "did I REALLY do that?", or "was that REALLY so difficult?".

 

It is difficult to establish a means of improvement when you are stuck in your own head and thoughts.

 

Thinking of you - and continue posting - we are always here. 

 

We all have our own issues - I am still struggling a lot with my PTSD, not due to the withdrawal, but life's circumstances... 

 

You are never alone, my dear....

 

IUN

[fishinghat]

Thank you so much for the kind words my brother. God bless. 

 

LeVana

 

As IUN mentioned my case is unusual and was very bad but you almost certainly will not go through what I went through. I can truly say your best weapon is patience. You can do this.

[LeVana]

@HAT: yeah, i know, it's an unusal case...especially the struggle with your testosterone level. that's why your symptoms became so bad.

@IUN or to you both: do you think, i have to count my withdrawal months with beginning of nov 2023 (instead of aug 2023) cause i tried to reinstate dulox for nearly 2 weeks? one week 7mg, one week 10mg. i'm concerned,withdrawal could take even longer :-(

[invalidusername]

You may unfortunately be going through kindling - which is essentially what happens if you reinstate and withdraw a second time. It is a common phenomenon which a lot of people go through. 

 

It happened to me when I was trying to give up alcohol. For anyone that has been there, you will know that people rarely stop drinking the first or second time they try. And each time I tried again, it got a lot worse than the previous attempt.

 

IUN

[LeVana]

i meant, i think i only acchieved month 3 of withdrawal instead of month 6, cause i quit in august and reinstated for 14d in november. or do you think it doesn't matter and i can count 6 months?

don't know :-(

[LeVana]

yeah and i also often heard about paradoxical reaction after reinstating. especially after 6 weeks quitting.

[fishinghat]

I agree with IUN, kindling.  Unluckily 2 weeks of re-instating is plenty of time to bring serum levels of Cymbalta back up to normal. Sucks for sure.

[invalidusername]

I agree with IUN, kindling.  Unluckily 2 weeks of re-instating is plenty of time to bring serum levels of Cymbalta back up to normal. Sucks for sure.

 

Exactly. My brother is right. Depending on the half life of the drug or substance withdrawing from, it can very easily be as few as a couple of weeks. 

 

It certainly does "suck".

[LeVana]

ok, that means i have to count from november and i only survived 3 months and it will take a long, long time for recovery.

i was hoping for august 2024 (that would be 12 months)´cause i didn´t believe in the effects of 14d reinstating

 

so sad...and i´m so annoyed i took it again

[invalidusername]

Don't put so much on your decision. These things happen, but every day is one more closer to your inevitable freedom from these symptoms...

[LeVana]

dystonia is getting less, anxiety is getting so much worse. must be related, i think.

and other bad news: i got flashbacks through triggering by trains and trams, which played a role when i decided to leave the world in december. sucks.

[fishinghat]

Ahh, the wonderful effect of antidepressants and their withdrawal on the fear/paranoia centers in the hippocampus. It is as if they can read of brain and feed us images of what we fear the most. Again....sucks!

[invalidusername]

I have dystonia type symptoms a lot of the time - usually a precursor to an epileptic episode. I have gotten used to them. But they really do suck.

 

They are VERY common with AD withdrawal or taper and in most cases will disappear, but unfortunately, my brain got totally screwed up - has been every since I came off Duloxetine.

 

If I ever find the energy, I will focus on a legal involvement for the mental health here in the UK. I now have to live with seizures as a result of them removing my supply of pills when I needed them most.

 

No-one knows how bad a cold turkey withdrawal can be until you have been there. 

 

Sorry, I don't like to talk about it - it hurts.

 

IUN

[fishinghat]

"Sorry, I don't like to talk about it - it hurts."

 

Boy, do I understand that comment.

[LeVana]

anxiety doesn't get better in spite of taking escitalo. why :-( i can't understand. every whole day constant anxiety. don't want to live anymore when there is no improvement.

anxiety level 8 from 10 all day

are there people who never get well?

[LeVana]

maybe so bad cause i stopped two drugs at the same time?

[fishinghat]

Some research indicates that only one out of 3 people respond to a change in antidepressants. When i couldn't handle my withdrawal my doctors tried 6 different antidepressants before they found one that worked. Unluckily many try 2 or 3 different ones before they find one that helps. Members seem to have more success going with either Lexapro, Zoloft or Prozac.

 

Stopping two drugs at5 the same time is almost always horrific. Definitely not something we would recommend.

[LeVana]

had no choice... doctors decided to quit dulox and prega at the same time :-( they said it would be no problem cause i took such a low dose of both.

well, it is a problem.

[LeVana]

i tried sertraline in 2018, couldn't tolerate it. and fluoxetine is still not available here.

[invalidusername]

Pregablin is a nasty withdrawal - just the same as Dulox, so I am not surprise you are feeling this way. I would be surprised if your anxiety wasn't at its worst at the moment. 

 

I would certainly say that the problem is stopping both drugs at the same time. It is such a bad thing that has happened to you and I wish you the very best. 

 

It is a shame that prozax (flux) is not available where you are. It is such a minefield...

 

Not going through the best time with my depression at the moment as a result of far too much stress and only feel like sitting in bed all day. It is tough, but it will never last...

 

We are all here for each other,

 

IUN

[LeVana]

note: it feels like starting escitalo every week new. maybe more and more receptors are occupied and side effects increase after two weeks, side effects decrease, dystonia increases.....and again from the beginning

omg, when does it works completely 🙄uptitration piece by biece....don't like it

[LeVana]

or could this be an interaction with the apple cider vinegar? feels like serotonine is increasing, increasing, increasing. makes me crazy and suicidal

[fishinghat]

Most people, but not all, have lower serotonin during withdrawal. Usually when someone has success with some treatment for withdrawal it causes and increase in serotonin. Having said that, this pattern varies a lot and in addition there are a number of other factors involved: diet, stress, caffeine, sunlight and numerous (12 or more?) other neurotransmitters that are involved as well. That is just to name a few. Figuring out what is the primary cause of your withdrawal symptoms is almost impossible. We search for the answer to 'why?' but there is no way of finding an answer. Unluckily that leaves us and the doctors to trial and error based on experience. 

[LeVana]

you're so helpful. thanks 💕